


Anomaly

by LiterallyThePresident



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen, Horror, In a way, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-09 05:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7788448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyThePresident/pseuds/LiterallyThePresident
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vision leads Ezra and Kanan to something hidden in the shadows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hello

"Something's here, Kanan. I wasn't imagining it."

"I believe you, but remember our lessons. Don't let curiosity cloud your judgement.

"Left." Ezra interrupted, pulling Kanan around a raised boulder. His own eyes strained in the dark, even his lightsaber seemed dim here. Ezra wondered what was waiting here, what the Force had wanted to show him with the vision.

It had been a series of images. Colors and vague impressions of what might have been emotions. He'd woken up a stinging slap mark on his cheek and Zeb's large hand cradling his head, face drawn with poorly hidden worry.

He'd insisted they check it out. He felt like he _had_ to.

Now Ezra almost wished he hadn't, just to spare Kanan the obvious unease. He kept a hand on Ezra's shoulder, knowing from Ezra's hesitant movements that it was dark. Ezra made sure to walk slower than usual, something he'd gotten used to doing since the ordeal with Maul.

Something flickered in the corner of Ezra's eye, he turned his head but saw nothing. His hands flexed on the hilt of his saber, eyes casting around for another glimpse of it.

Something danced just beyond the reach of the lightsaber's glow.

"I see something."

Ezra walked ahead, shoulder slipping from Kanan's hand in his haste.

"Stay close to me, Ezra." Kanan reached uncertainly for him. Ezra could sense the growing tension in him, how badly he wanted to take Ezra and leave.

"I will. I want to see what it was, I think it looked like a person. Sorta. I'm not really sure how to describe it." Ezra searched the Force, but there was nothing here. Nothing he could pick up anyway.

"Can you sense anything, Kanan?"

Kanan didn't answer.

"Kanan?" He turned at the lack of answer, concern scrawled across his face.

Kanan was gone.

Ezra stared in bewilderment for a moment, alone in the circle of light. That couldn't be. This hallway had no doors, no windows. He hadn't heard a shout or a scuffle or any indication that Kanan had been taken, and Kanan's Force signature hadn't changed at all. Where could he have gone? Ezra suddenly regretted asking him to come, seems he kept made bad choices.

"Kanan?" He called. No answer, just his voice echoing in the dark hall. Ezra realized he couldn't feel Kanan, and wondered why he wasn't more concerned about that.

"Kanan?"

Kanan's name echoed off the walls, distorting and changing in a way that couldn't be natural, coming back as something else entirely.

Hello.

Ezra whirled around, weapon raised towards the unfamiliar voice. But there was nothing. Just his shadow on the wall.

Ezra's brows furrowed, confusion stealing over him. The only light here came from his lightsaber, held close to his body, what was casting the shadow? There hadn't been any shadows before, even Kanan's tall form hadn't cast one. Ezra stood perfectly still, puzzled and wary, a tingle starting in the back of his head. His eyes never left his shadow, plastered innocently on the wall.

A tilt of the head...

Ezra gasped, backing up into the opposite wall.

His shadow had just moved.

"What the... Who are you?"

A voice answered him, seeming to come from the very walls. It was a roaring whisper, hushed and commanding all at once.

You have come

"Who are you?" Ezra asked again. "Where am I? What is this place? Who are you?" The shadow writhed, briefly indiscernible from the wall. Ezra took a calming breath. "Who are you?"

Where I'm from  
This is not a place  
This is not a who  
Or a what.

Ezra felt strangely calm, like he had all the time in the world. Kanan's absence suddenly seemed unconcerning, something to worry about later. His shadow spoke again, a quiet booming echo in Ezra's ears.

Where I'm from  
This is how we say Hello.  
Would you please  
Say Hello to me?

It made a strange movement with it's hand, Ezra curiously imitated it, wincing when it bent his arm unnaturally. But he wanted to be polite, and he smiled a little when he felt approval radiate from it. His lightsaber was extinguished, though Ezra was distantly aware that he hadn't done it. Despite the utter blackness, or perhaps because of it, the shadows remained.

Where I'm from  
We have color  
We sent pictures of our colors  
Beyond our solar system.

"Was that what I saw?" Ezra asked idly, examining the darkness creeping up his legs. He dreamily reached to touch it, lips tugging upwards as it curled affectionately around his fingers. He didn't think to question why he could see in the pitch black.

You saw us  
You have seen what we used to be.  
Where I'm from  
This is how we say Longing.

"Where did you go? What happened to your people? Who are you?"

At an apex  
There is only one way you can go.

"Down." Ezra whispered. The darkness surrounded him now, cocooned him. His shadow was lost in the rolling coils but it's voice still cooed in Ezra's ears. Ezra felt relaxed, sleepy, leaning back into the shadows. They caught at him, happily encasing him in cloudy smoke and darkness. He felt like he was floating.

You can see us  
You have heard the colors  
You have seen our pictures  
You are an anomaly

"Who are you?"

Where I'm from  
We speak with light  
We speak with color  
We speak with nothing

"Who are you?" Ezra asked, blinking myopically. There were shadows behind his eyes now, friendly shadows encroaching in his field of view, playfully brushing his irises.

Beautiful anomaly  
Let me tell you.

And Ezra did.


	2. Ark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan searches.

Kanan searched the Force again, taking calming breaths. He put one foot in front of the other, a hand on the wall to keep him oriented while he searched.

His Padawan had disappeared. He'd just vanished, gone in an instant. Kanan had been left floundering in the dark, feeling around frantically until his hand had hit a wall. Ezra's Force signature had vanished as well, Kanan couldn't feel him anymore. His Padawan hadn't answered his comm, his shouts echoed uselessly around him, the Force volunteered no answers.

Kanan was very close to shouting in frustration.

Where _was he_?

He turned a corner, hand trailing the wall, and his foot collided with something soft.

"Ezra!"

He could sense his Padawan lying prone in the ground, the outline of his body buzzing and something unknown coiled inside him.  
Kanan fell to his knees beside him, frantically feeling for any injury, anything that could give him a clue as to what happened.

"Ezra?" He shook the boy gently, slipping a hand under his head. "Ezra? Can you hear me?" There was no response, and Kanan felt panic surge before he clamped down on it. Panicking wouldn't help Ezra, and it wouldn't get them out of this.

His Padawan was far too warm.

"Ezra. Padawan, I need you to wake up." Ezra's signature was back, to Kanan's great relief, but it was off. Strange. Like a cloth stretched over an empty bucket.

Something was _wrong_.

Ezra shifted under his hands, a  
Kanan held him steady, not letting go of him for a second.

"Ezra, it's me. Are you okay, are you hurt?"

Ezra pulled away suddenly, throwing Kanan off balance for a moment. He heard his Padawan stand, lumbering clumsily to his feet.

"Ezra?" His hands hovered uncertainly in front of him.

"Goodbye."

It was Ezra's voice, however strained, but it was clearly not Ezra talking. His mouth formed clumsily around the words, as if unused to speech.

"The halls are... empty. The... lights are dimming. We must leave, on the Ark. Hello. Where I'm from, his is how we say Hello." Kanan heard a sickening snap, the pulsing outline of Ezra's arm dangling unnaturally.

"Release him." Kanan snarled, hands tightening on his lightsaber. But not activating it. The darkness swirling, filling the outline of his Padawan, seemed to consider him. Ezra's body swayed, feet dragging and neck contorting sickeningly, as though the entity within it was used to a much different form. A more grotesque form. Kanan itched to correct it, it seemed like it hurt.

"Where I'm from, the sky is full of green. We laugh and scream and curse at the indescribable green, and it feels nothing. Our bodies are hollow, the Ark is hollow. Empty and unknowable. Like the green." The voice was halting and grating, sounding like it was scraping Ezra's throat with each word.

"Who are you?"

"Do you want to go home? Do you want what we have? We cried for the Ark, but it was silent. And now, it has answered our calls."

"Ezra isn't your Ark. He's a human boy."

"It heard. It came. It answered. It is our Ark."

"He _isn't_."

"Our anomaly will take us away, far away. Our halls will be bright, the abyss deep, the sky green once again. Oh, do you think they will hear our colors?" Ezra's voice was rapturous, his expression indescribable.

"He's mine." Kanan growled through gritted teeth. "You can't have him. Give him back. Give him back to me."

There was a strained moment of absolute silence.

"Goodbye." And Ezra crumpled, hitting the ground with a heavy _thud_ , his form emptied but bright and full and Ezra once more. Kanan dashed to his side, pulling his limp student into his arms.

"Ezra?" He asked, gently patting his face. Ezra stirred, eyes fluttering open, the light breeze of his lashes ghosting over Kanan's hands.

"Kanan...? What happened? I... I feel sick."

"What do you remember?" He asked gently, holding his Padawan close, trying to ward off the warmth from the shadows.

Ezra's was quiet for a moment, a shaky hand coming up to grasp his shirt.

"I... I don't know. I don't remember anything after we got separated." He sounded shaken, gripping Kanan for support.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out. I think it's safe to say the vision was malevolent. I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Come on, I'll help you up." Ezra's shaking had stopped, but he made no move to get up.

"Ezra? Let's go. What's wrong?"

"Don't worry, Kanan." Ezra said, his voice suddenly far too calm. Small hands, _warm_ hands trailed up his face, framing his mask, too warm. Too warm. Too warm.

"Where I'm from, this is how we say Goodbye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be an alternate ending. I hope you liked the story.


	3. Alternative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate ending that wouldn't leave my head.

Kanan searched the Force again, taking calming breaths. He put one foot in front of the other, a hand on the wall to keep him oriented while he searched.

His Padawan had disappeared. He'd just vanished, gone in an instant. Kanan had been left floundering in the dark, feeling around frantically until his hand had hit a wall. Ezra's Force signature had vanished as well, Kanan couldn't feel him anymore. His Padawan hadn't answered his comm, his shouts echoed uselessly around him, the Force volunteered no answers.

Kanan was very close to shouting in frustration.

Where _was he_?

He turned a corner, hand trailing the wall, and his foot collided with something soft.

"Ezra!"

He could sense his Padawan lying prone in the ground, the outline of his body buzzing and something unknown coiled inside him. Kanan fell to his knees beside him, frantically feeling for any injury, anything that could give him a clue as to what happened.

"Ezra?" He shook the boy gently, slipping a hand under his head. "Ezra? Can you hear me?" There was no response, and Kanan felt panic surge before he clamped down on it. Panicking wouldn't help Ezra, and it wouldn't get them out of this.

His Padawan was far too warm.

"Ezra. Padawan, I need you to wake up." Ezra's signature was back, to Kanan's great relief, but it was off. Strange. Like a cloth stretched over an empty bucket.

Something was _wrong_.

Ezra shifted under his hands, a   
Kanan held him steady, not letting go of him for a second.

"Ezra, it's me. Are you okay, are you hurt?"

Ezra pulled away suddenly, throwing Kanan off balance for a moment. He heard his Padawan stand, lumbering clumsily to his feet.

"Ezra?" His hands hovered uncertainly in front of him.

"Goodbye."

It was Ezra's voice, however strained, but it was clearly not Ezra talking. His mouth formed clumsily around the words, as if unused to speech.

"The halls are... empty. The... lights are dimming. We must leave, on the Ark. Hello. Where I'm from, his is how we say Hello." Kanan heard a sickening snap, the pulsing outline of Ezra's arm dangling unnaturally.

"Release him." Kanan snarled, hands tightening on his lightsaber. But not activating it. The darkness swirling, filling the outline of his Padawan, seemed to consider him. Ezra's body swayed, feet dragging and neck contorting sickeningly, as though the entity within it was used to a much different form. A more grotesque form. Kanan itched to correct it, it seemed like it hurt.

"Where I'm from, the sky is full of green. We laugh and scream and curse at the indescribable green, and it feels nothing. Our bodies are hollow, the Ark is hollow. Empty and unknowable. Like the green." The voice was halting and grating, sounding like it was scraping Ezra's throat with each word.

"Who are you?"

"Do you want to go home? Do you want what we have? We cried for the Ark, but it was silent. And now, it has answered our calls."

"Ezra isn't your Ark. He's a human boy."

"It heard. It came. It answered. It is our Ark."

"He _isn't_."

"Our anomaly will take us away, far away. Our halls will be bright, the abyss deep, the sky green once again. Oh, do you think they will hear our colors?" Ezra's voice was rapturous, his expression indescribable.

"He's mine." Kanan growled through gritted teeth. "You can't have him. Give him back. Give him back to me."

There was a strained moment of absolute silence.

"Goodbye." And Ezra crumpled, hitting the ground with a heavy _thud_ , his form emptied but bright and full and Ezra once more. Kanan dashed to his side, pulling his limp student into his arms.

"Ezra?" He asked, gently patting his face. Ezra stirred, eyes fluttering open, the light breeze of his lashes ghosting over Kanan's hands.

"Kanan...? What happened? I... I feel sick."

"What do you remember?" He asked gently, holding his Padawan close, trying to ward off the warmth from the shadows.

Ezra's was quiet for a moment, a shaky hand coming up to grasp his shirt.

"I... I don't know. I don't remember anything after we got separated." He sounded shaken, gripping Kanan for support.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out. I think it's safe to say the vision was malevolent. I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Come on, I'll help you up." Ezra's head nodded against his hand, and his own small hands slipped into his so Kanan could pull him up.

"My legs are shaky." Ezra admitted, holding tightly to Kanan. "I want to go home."

"We'll be home before you know it, kid." Kanan reassured him. The two held each other steady, Ezra guiding Kanan and Kanan keeping Ezra on his feet.

"Hera's gonna kill us."

"Yep."

\---

Back in the darkness and shadow, the real Ezra Bridger slumbered in the cold tendrils. Smokey coils brushed tenderly across his face, cocooning him deeper in it's embrace.

My beautiful anomaly  
Such a tiny little thing  
I will keep you close  
And hold you when the Ark comes.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my attempt at writing an atmosphere of creeping unease. Let me know how I did.


End file.
